Q.2 smoke bushes
Can I trim a few of the branches now – that have grown taller than the others? I have 2 smoke bushes about 2 years old. I bought them in Sept. of 2015. In late March (early spring) of 2017 I cut them back completely to about a 6 – 8 inch stump. Now it is June and they are beautiful. Basically round and full. They are about 3 times the size they were when purchased. Because of the way the sun hits my property – One is slightly larger than the other. One has 2 branches that are a little taller than the rest of the bush and one has four branches that are a little taller than the rest of the bush. Neither has any blooms or flowers at this time. I want to keep them as bushes but I do not want them to become very tall. Please let me know if I can snip off about 8 inches from the 6 branches that are taller than the rest of the bush without ruining the plant. If there is a charge involved – don’t answer.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
You'll want to wait until winter or early spring to trim smoke bushes as doing it now can expose them to many pests and diseases. This article should help
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/smoke-tree/pruning-smoke-trees.htm
